HootSuite Auto Scheduling using Google Docs #twitter

I like using the HootSuite bulk uploader, and round the time I posted the post HootSuite Bulk Uploads I had set up a Google Docs file to produce the csv file it requires as input. It can simply be made by uploading the example provided by HootSuite to Google Docs and using that as a template.

As I was explaining the features of HootSuite to my mother, including the bulk uploader, I suddenly realized that I could make my spreadsheet more valuable for myself and others by adding a check to see whether it has 140 characters. I wasn’t able to use the regular Docs Data Validation, so I decided to roll my own in the script editor, which meant adding a Trigger to the script so it is called after the spreadsheet is edited.

The script verifies that the message in column B is no longer than 140 characters and changes the background colour for any messages exceeding 140 characters. You can see it in action here.

After creating the file you can use Download as… to download it in CSV format. The go to the compose message and press the calendar icon, which opens the calendar (left). Press the Schedule in Bulk button to open the uploader (right). Here you can select a social profile and upload CSV file ou just created with up to 50 messages. HootSuite will schedule these messages for this profile. Any errors are concise, they usually relate to problems in the file due to invalid input or duplicate messages.